Doctors Warn Inflammation Lasting 6 to 12 Weeks Can Mimic Aging

1 articles · Updated · HuffPost · Aug 14

Chronic inflammation can underlie fatigue, stiffness and slow workout recovery that many people dismiss as normal aging, with experts stressing it is not a disease itself but a driver of conditions including Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
6 to 12 weeks is the rough threshold doctors use to distinguish chronic inflammation from short-term healing, though diagnosis usually requires history, exam, bloodwork and sometimes imaging rather than any single definitive test.
Key red flags include severe fatigue, swollen or warm joints, morning stiffness that improves with movement, unexplained weight change, persistent rashes, poor sleep, fevers lasting more than 2 weeks, gut symptoms and brain fog.
15% of the general population can test positive on some autoimmune screening without ever developing disease, so experts urge patients to start with a primary-care doctor or rheumatologist and avoid self-diagnosing from social media.
Smoking, poor sleep, stress, inactivity and excess abdominal fat may raise risk, while doctors say quitting smoking, moderating alcohol, exercising safely and following Mediterranean-style eating can modestly reduce inflammation.